Both Sides Of The Coin
by Apacala
Summary: Dwayne will not let her get the best of him, she will know his dislike for her, even if it makes him act like some one he's not.
1. First Look

_**Both Sides Of The Coin**_

This story was written by me, but only with the help of The Mighty Ducks. I do not own some of the characters or some of the plot. This is only an intro of whats yet to come. Please review with comments so I know whether to continue the story or not.

Dwayne was not normally a violent person, in fact there were few people in the world that he held grudges against. Dwayne was in fact a very loyal person, especially when it came to friends, family, hockey, and most of all animals. In true cowboy spirits, he was an animal lover at heart, so it was no surprise that he had a great distaste for E. Vasquez. E. or Erica, her real name that few knew of, was a young motocross rider from Dallas, who although won his trust with her great talents in hockey, lost those same earned favors when it came to her opinion of animals. E. hated animals and she was not afraid to show it, in fact she donated half of her prize winnings a year to fashion companies that used real fur in their designs. After all she did to destroy the animal rights groups he supported; it was no wonder why he despised her. Secretly each night he wished for a chance to express his distaste to the girl who haunted his thoughts daily. Then in his second year in college he got the chance, he was in his dorm, awaiting the arrival of the first coed roommate he had ever had when it happened. In the doorway bags in hand stood his most despised foe, E. Vasquez. There she stood with her deceiving innocent smile and those trusting blue eyes. Her long blonde hair that normally touched the bottom of her shoulder blades was being held by a loose ponytail and a cowboy hat centered on her head. She wore a tight white t-shirt that stopped just above her midriff and a pair of loose blue jeans that were held up by a belt buckle that said HOPE on it. On her feet she wore a pair on tan cowboy boots that looked surprisingly comfortable. She also wore a silver necklace with a silver horseshoe at the end. On her shirt there was a blue angel that appeared to be made of ice, and just above it, was the words "**NORTH MADISON UNIVERSITY, HOME OF THE FURIES!**" Finally Dwayne would get the chance to tell her exactly what he thought about her, but there was one small problem with his plan; this girl was not E. Vasquez. Her name was Emika Vasquez, and she was E's twin sister. Emika was not at all like her sister, they were both good at hockey, but Emika loved animals, in fact she wanted to be a veterinarian when she was old enough. While her sister loved motocross bikes, she loved horse back riding, they were completely different. E. loved guys with fast rides, guys who were punks, while Em liked her guys to love nature like her, a nice cowboy if you will. While they had differences, they were the best of friends, E. with her strong assertive attitude, Em with her sweet, innocent, and demure.


	2. Rocky Starts

Chapter One

Rocky Starts

From an onlooker's point of view, this situation would appear dismal, even with all of its irony. Dwayne would finally be able to express his anger to the young woman whose views of the world had long since disgusted him, he would finally be able to exact his revenge on the stuck up biker. He would have to stand his ground and no matter what he could not let his gentle persona take over. It was imperative that he remained as unattached to the girl as possible; he would not let himself like the beautiful girl before him.

Dwayne, after a minute or two, realized that he had been staring at the girl from his position in the center of the room. Not only had he been staring at his new foe, but he had been standing with his mouth open, his face displaying a look of complete shock. 'She probably thinks I'm drooling over her with my expression, I can't…no I won't let her think that,' Dwayne thought suddenly. 'I wonder why she hasn't moved from the door to enter the room, she looks rather uncomfortable, and her eyes make her look so innocent. I know better then that though, I won't let that little filly get the best of me.'

"Ya know, where I come from it's customary to knock before entering a room," Dwayne carefully drawled out. "

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm new here and I just thought…" Emika began before being interrupted.

"You just thought what, listen little lady, I don't know where y'all from, but although I may look the part, I was not raised in a barn. Back home I was taught manners, you should think about trying out some of them once in a while," Dwayne spat at her with venom coating every spiteful word. Just because people thought he was dumb by the way he talked, did not mean he truly was.

"I am so sorry, I really should have knocked, I was just so nervous about everything else I school, well the thought never crossed my mind. I should have thought with a coed roommate, well I assure you my momma and papa taught me better than that. Speaking of manners, perhaps I should introduce myself, howdy, I'm Emika Vasquez, but y'all can call me Em. I transferred here from North Madison U., and am currently majoring in animal care; I would like to be a vet. You see, back home in Dallas, I lived on a ranch, so I grew up with animals," Emika finished with as politely as possible.

"I'll just be you LOVE animals, I'll bet you love them to death," Dwayne said in a sarcastic tone of voice. "Now if you'll excuse me I have hockey practice, go ahead and unpack, but do not touch my stuff!" Dwayne yelled in an extremely annoyed voice.

With that being said, he grabbed a bag off his bead with the hockey gear in it and stormed out of the room. With a slam of the door, Em was once again all alone.


	3. New Lives

I realize in my last chapter that my portrayal of Dwayne was not exactly true to his character, but I assure you that although I have not shown it yet, this coldness that Dwayne has shown Emika is eating him up inside. Dwayne in my opinion is a very sweet character who is very protective of his friends and his beliefs. I think that he is also very protective of animals, which later on it will become apparent why I chose to make him defensive of his beliefs. I will also try to go into why Dwayne is so protective of animals. I hope you like the story as it progresses. Please keep in mind that although Emika seems unsure of herself now, all will be explained in time. I will also try to include a visit from Erica, Em's sister and Em's aforementioned friends. So without further ado, relax, enjoy the story (or don't) and review. Any suggestions will help me, I will be sure to give you credit for any and all suggestions I use.

Apacala

Chapter Two

New Lives

Emika did not know what to think; once again she felt the familiar pull of loneliness dragging her down into a dark abyss. She did not enjoy this feeling she got when she left for the long plane ride here. She could be trapped in a storm of people, in a large city, all of which was surrounded by a much larger city and still she'd feel detached. Em did not know what she was expecting when she met her roommate, surely she did not expect a kind stranger who would protect her from her isolism? A kindred spirit perhaps, someone who would be her friend, someone who did not expect perfection from her, someone who didn't judge her against her sister? Emika should have known better, this young man didn't even introduce himself before lecturing her, why would he want to be her friend? Why would anyone want to be her friend? No, Em would not think like that, she would make friends, people would see her for the person she truly was. Why shouldn't they?

After collecting her scattered thoughts, Em began to unpack, she had one week to make friends and prepare for school before the first bell rang. Emika carefully placed her bag down on the unmade bed on the far bed in the room. The two beds were separated by a wall that took up only half the width of the room. The room itself was surprisingly large, in the room it easily held two queen sized bed, two large dressers, two vanities, several large bookcases, two desks, a couple windows and a large bathroom complete with bath and shower. The dorm accommodations should have come as no surprise to her, the tuition alone could have leased several small islands for a four year span. In all fairness, the only students at the school were either wealthy or were here on some sort of scholarship, usually for one of the schools diverse sports programs.

After unpacking her bags she carried with her on the plane, she moved on to her trunk she had sent in from Dallas. Upon opening her trunk she found herself caught up in the memories each item recalled from the recesses of her vast mind. Each picture, each piece of sports equipment, each stuffed animal, each book, everything reminded her of a memory she had thought she had locked away in her head. The flood of memories only made her miss her home all the more. She missed her friends, her family, her pets, everyone, but she knew if she did not separate herself from her sister, she would never be able to. The twins had been together their entire life, but after a while being referred to as the Vasquez sisters lost some of the appeal it once held. Emika needed to try new things, Emika, the twin who did not even like buying new clothes for fear of the change; she was the one who decided that disengaging herself from her sister's side would be a good thing. Emika needed her independence, the twins were growing up fast and with the way their personalities were maturing, it was obvious that the two would be taking opposite routes in life. Em felt it was better to separate herself from her sister before her courage ran short.


	4. Coach Orion

I do not own the movie the Mighty Ducks, but I do own my character. I apologize for taking so long to update.

Chapter 4

Coach Orion

Emika sat on her bed with her bags unpacked and she felt utterly and completely lonely. She just sat on the bed, starring at one of the walls thinking about home. Right now at home she could have been out with her friends showing off. Maybe she would have been at the ice rink enjoying the feel of her skates cutting into the crisp ice and hearing sticks cracking off the puck that flew across the rink. Perhaps she would have been at the park, her roller skates tied tightly to her feet while she skated around the grassy expanse as the warm afternoon sun basked her body in it's celestial glow. She could have even been at the ranch, walking around the barn and cleaning after the animals. Perhaps instead, she could have taken Flame her paint horse for a run in one of the back fields. She could almost feel Flames strong muscles moving as she runs through the tall grass.

The more Em thought about it though, the more the consequences of her decision weighed down on her. After a few more minutes of this, Em decided perhaps a walk around the campus would take her mind of her worries. Grabbing her hockey bag out of habit, she walked out of the room to look around the school. She walked around the vast campus, taking in the diverse people, and feeling even more home sick by the minute.

It was about two in the afternoon when she came upon a sight that made her momentarily forget about her problems. In a building, not far from her dorm room, was an ice rink. The place was almost deserted, only a man skating laps on the ice. As Emika walked down the stair case closer to the ice she longed to feel the ice under her skates again. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she failed to notice the man skate up to her until he was right in front of her.

The man looked in his mid thirties, and he wore a pair of sweatpants and a plain sweatshirt. He wore a whistle around his neck and one look at him reminded her of her first hockey coach. "Hello, I'm coach Orion. I coach the JV hockey team," the man said holding out a hand.

Taking it Emika said, "Emika Vasquez, I'm new here. I didn't mean to interupt, it's just I saw the ice and I..." she said trailing off. Coach Orion nodded, seeming to understand.

He smiled and asked, "Do you play hockey?"

Emika returned his smile and said, "Yes, but it's been a while." The man smiled and gestured towards the ice, silently offering her a chance to skate. Emika nodded and sat on the bench, pulling off her boots and pulling on her skates from her bag. She was about to take the ice, when she caught sight of her old jersey. Not able to resist, she pulled the blue and white jersey over her head, and skated on the ice.

She skated some laps, starting slow and picking up in speed. She then switched to sprints, skating from blue line to blue line, stopping only when she heard a shrill whistle in the still air. Glancing up, she saw Coach Orion drop the whistle from his lips. He skated over towards one of the rink edges, and pulled out a hockey stick and puck. Skating closer to the girl, he handed the stick to her and dropped the puck.

"Show me what you can do, Emika," he said, a smile on his face. Emika returned his smile and took the puck out. She batted it around, letting the puck slip through her legs, catching it and maneuvering it in front of her once again. The puck seemed to glide over the ice as though obeying her every silent command. She had perfect control over the puck, whether skating at top speed or coming to a quick stop.

She shot the puck into the net, varying her technique every time. After a while of this, Emika was completely lost in the game, and only snapped out of it when she heard the whistle again. Em turned and skated over to Coach Orion. "How would you like to be a duck?" he asked.

Emika gave him a confused look, and said, "A what?"

"A duck, it's the name of the JV hockey team here at Eden Hall. So, what do you say?"


	5. Second String

I do not own the Mighty Ducks. I hope you enjoy the story.

Chapter 5

Second String

To say Emika was shocked was an understatement. "I...I don't know," she said after a minute. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that...could I be a back up player?" she asked finally.

Coach Orion seemed shocked, "You are a very talented young woman and you want to play back up."

"It's just that, I just left my last team and I'm not sure how the team will react to me. Besides, I just moved here and I want people to get to know me for who I am, not because I'm a jock," she said finally.

"I think that it is a mistake on your part, but if it means you'll be on the team then I have no choice. I can't let you sit on the bench as a back up with your skills, but I can cut down your playing time," he offered finally.

"Deal," Emika said, shaking the man's hand in a agreement.

"Ok, first practice is in about an hour. Why don't I get you your gear, and then you can get suited up." Emika just nodded and followed her new coach off the ice.

After finding pads, a helmet, skates, and a stick for the new duck, Coach Orion led her to the locker room to show her her new locker. Because he had to order in a jersey for the new duck, he allowed her to use her old jersey for now. When he had left and Em was getting ready, the only thoughts running through her head were of her old teammates. I hope I don't regret this decision, she thought.

When she was dressed, Em came out on the ice and began her laps that Coach Orion had mentioned. When she had gotten through about half, she heard voices talking. She continued skating and after a few minutes she heard Coach Orion calling her over.

She skated over to a group of players who had gathered on the ice. The first thing she noticed was that her new roommate was on the team. After seeing him on the ice, Emika felt as cold as the ice they were on. With a sigh, she skated over to the coach, the eyes of the entire team on her. When she was in front of him, she pulled of her helmet, shaking her hair out.

She heard gasps from the players, but she was too afraid to look up at them. "Ducks, I have found us a new player. This is Emika Vasquez, and she is going to be playing second string. I have yet to decide a position for her, so for now I will be shifting her around. She is a very talented player, and although she is second string, I assure you it wasn't my decision. Miss. Vasquez chose to be a second string player. I expect you to treat her with respect." Coach Orion finished while patting the girl on the back and she finally looked up at her new teammates.

After looking up though, she felt an urge to flee the rink. The entire hockey team did not look happy to see her. Her roommate looked about the most displeased about the whole thing. They looked like they were going to kill her, and she didn't doubt it. "Ok team, let's split up and play some hockey," Coach Orion called out, blowing his whistle as he started calling out teams.

Emika felt scared, not just because of the angry looks, but because of the evil looks she caught on several players faces when the Coach made his announcement. 'I'm going to die,' Em thought, swallowing hard.


	6. Unsure

I do not own the Mighty Ducks.

Chapter 6

Unsure

The practice went horribly. Emika was checked left and right, even her own side seemed to be gunning for her. She was hit hard from both sides, and by the end of pratice she was sore all over. By morning she was sure to have bruises all over her body, and that is what worried her. 'What if this is how every practice will go," she thought.

Emika had fought hard the entire practice. She had managed to get back up each time, fought hard against the sea of angry players, took the puck from the players Banks and Conway a few times, and had even scored on the female goalie. She had played hard and she showed exactly why she made the team.

When Emika left the locker room, having not dared to enter until the others were gone, she was met by Coach Orion. "I'm sorry about the team. I've never seen them act like this, but I was impressed. You took the best they had and threw it right back at them. I wish you would reconsider second string, but I am happy you agreed to be on the team. We could use a strong player for when the Varsity/Junior Varsity game comes up."

Emika just smiled and said, "Thank you. I must admit I was surprised to see that one of the players was my roomate."

Coach Orion said, "Dwayne Robertson. Yes I heard he was your roommate."

She looked down and said, "He doesn't seem too fond of me. I think I offended him, although I'm not sure when. When I first got here, I came into the room without knocking and he didn't seem too happy to see me."

Coach Orion touched her shoulder, "I don't know what's gotten into him. He is always a gentleman and the least likely to get mad. I imagine he is the reason for the reaction you got from the other Ducks. I will talk to him if you'd like."

Emika just shook her head and said, "I should be getting back to the dorm. I imagine that he's at dinner, so I should be all right to go back for now."

"Ok, next practice won't be until next week. I'll find you and tell you." he said to her retreating form.

Emika went back to her room, and was relieved to find she was right in her guess. She pulled out some crackers from her bag and ate them, washing them down with some water from the bathroom sink. She pulled on a pair of purple pajama bottoms and a pink, pastel shirt before climbing into her bed. Her muscles were just starting to ache and she was sure tomorrow she was going to be in immense pain. After a moment though, she was out cold, oblivious to the world around her.

About three hours later, the dorm room door swung open and in walked Dwayne. He got about two steps in when he saw Emika passed out on her bed. Walking over to her, he pulled the blankets around her, and was about to brush the loose hair out of her face when he realized what he was doing. Pulling his arm back, he silently cursed his soft heart. He wanted desperately to hate the young girl before him, but the way she acted made it hard.

The Ducks had his back, and they were willing to go all the way to help him in his mission, but that didn't mean he felt good about it. Staring at the beauty before him, he wondered if she had eaten anything since she got here. He hadn't seen her in the cafeteria during all three meals, but that didn't mean she didn't eat. She could have went off campus or slipped down when he wasn't around.

She wasn't at all what he expected when he first met her. He expected her to have a large ego and an attitude to match, but she was sweet and innocent. If it wasn't for her feelings about animals, he could have really liked her. He could have been friends with her, maybe more. She didn't seem the type of person she was supposed to be, but she was. With a sigh, Dwayne got changed and collapsed on his bed.

He lay there staring at his roommate, thinking about hockey practice. He had to admit she was good. She could give Adam a run for his money, and yet she was second string. Coach said she wanted it this way, and Dwayne just couldn't understand why. It doesn't matter really, Dwayne thought as he turned over, facing away from Emika. Before falling asleep, the last thought that crossed his mind was, I'm going to solve the mysteries of this girl, grudge or not.


End file.
